Seven Flat Belly Foods

If you want to fit into your dress for a big night out, amp up your glamour and confidence by eating some of these LBD-friendly foods. The seven foods listed below will help you to combat any bloating you're suffering from and they'll also aid your digestion, so that you can look amazing in your party dress and feel incredible.

Chicken

The protein you gain from chicken will keep you feeling fuller for longer, and lean meat such as chicken helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels. This is great news if you want to reduce bloating and gas because often when we are hungry we reach for carbohydrates or sugary foods; both of which contribute to bloating.

How to eat it: Have a chicken salad, using chicken breasts, lettuce, cucumber, almonds, lemon juice, basil and olive oil.

Melon

If you think your bloating is a result of fluid retention eat some foods that contain high amounts of water, such as melon. Foods with high levels of water are fantastic at reducing the symptoms of water retention and constipation because water is a diuretic (this means it makes you pee more).

The high water content present in melon has other benefits too. Bloating can be the result of dehydration. Therefore, by tucking into this fruit you are rehydrating yourself, hopefully to the point that you conquer that bloat.

How to eat it: Chop up watermelon and honeydew melon and pour over some natural yoghurt.

Smoothie

Although when you are trying to fit into a dress you think you should eat less, you should actually try to eat more. Eating little and often aids your digestion and will therefore help you to avoid the dreaded bloat. Having a smoothie as one of your four 'meals' will help you to achieve this little and often goal and will help you achieve a flat-belly for your LBD.

How to eat it: Pop two green apples, the juice of half a lemon, a handful of spinach, a carrot and half a cup of water into a blender and blend into a tasty, healthy smoothie.

Vegetables

To fit into your LBD you'll need to reduce your sugar intake. Vegetables are low in sugar so eating plenty of fresh veg is a good idea. Vegetables are also beneficial because they absorb fungus such as mycotoxins and carry them out of the body. Funguses like mycotoxin can cause gastrointestinal problems and so getting rid of them is going to help you and your stomach troubles.

How to eat it: Have a vegetable stir-fry, but replace the noodles with quinoa or brown rice.

Soda bread

If you find that you are often bloated and uncomfortable after eating you may need to cut down on the amount of yeast you consume. One way to do this is to swap normal bread, which contains a lot of yeast, for soda bread, which does not contain yeast. The fiber within soda bread will also help to relieve constipation, which might help you to slip into your LBD with ease. Plus the fiber within soda bread can help your body remove any waste products that are contributing to your bloated stomach.

How to eat it: Toast soda bread and eat with vegetable soup.

Yogurt

Yogurt is an LBD friendly food for lots of reasons. Firstly, it's high in water, which helps combat any issues you have with water retention. Eating a dollop or two of yogurt before your big night out also puts good bacteria into your gut and, in turn, this reduces the gas that you have within your body.

80 per cent of the gas that causes bloating is the result of your digestive process and so, understandably, anything that aids your digestive process will help to reduce the swelling and discomfit.

How to eat it: You can eat yogurt plain, add it to a smoothie or mix it in with oats and nuts.

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, which means they will fill you up and ensure that you feel fuller for longer. They are also an excellent food to eat before your big night out because they contain no yeast or sugars. This is great news because both sugars and yeast can trigger bloating and can cause problems for your digestion.

How to eat it: You could make a vegetable frittata, an omelette or have a boiled egg salad.